Scott Gray

As the headlines blare and one story piles on another trumpeting the anti social behavior of today’s sports stars, perhaps the question we should ask ourselves is, “When did we stop caring about the purity of the competition?”

Phil Mickelson is getting a bit feisty in his old age. His hall of fame and elder statesman status on the PGA Tour appears to have given him a comfort zone for making his feelings known. Not that “Lefty” has been alone in the new “speak your mind” world of golf.

It’s time to finally comment on the New Britain Rock Cats affiliation change. After a successful two decade run with the Minnesota Twins that produced more current major leaguers over that span than any other affiliation, the Twins opted to head in another direction.

Have you ever had one of those days when you just felt like spending a few minutes in your past? One of those days when the car just veers off the highway into some old neighborhoods that suddenly assume their look of decades gone by and flush you with memories of what was and what came to be?

I have a confession to make. Until this past week I didn’t realize how serious my addiction was, but I’ve been suffering from the D.T.’s, withdrawal pains, hallucinations of Tiger Woods winning all four majors next season. I need my golf fix.

There are hundreds of things that will be said and written about John Toner over the next few days that will speak volumes about the legacy of the man, a legacy that is second to none in Connecticut sports. His is a legacy that’s impossible to encapsulate in a few short minutes or a few columns in a newspaper.

I last saw Bill Detrick on the 28th of August. We’d just finished playing 18 holes of golf in the annual Harry “The Cat” Nowobilski tournament at Tallwood Country Club in Hebron in support of junior golf.

In three weeks the newly renovated XL Center will officially open with a Celtics-Knicks NBA exhibition. With a fan lounge, concourse level luxury seating, improved handicapped seating, color coding for easier location and an open symmetry between the arena and the concourse the XL Center will assume it’s continuing role as the home of the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack and a home away from home for the UCONN men’s and women’s basketball teams while becoming the Hockey East home for UCONN hockey.